I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sorting and handling devices and, more particularly, to a sorting device for separating a plurality of diverse types of containers into predetermined groups for reuse, reclamation or disposal.
II. Description of the Prior Art
There are a number of different types of containers and partcularly containers which contain consumable goods. Many types of containers, for example, heavy glass containers are suitable for reuse after cleaning. Many containers of this type conventionally carry a deposit which is refunded when the empty container is returned to the place of purchase.
Still other types of containers are unfit for reuse, such as paper containers, light glass containers and metallic cans. Nonrefillable containers are currently discarded for waste disposal even though these containers are constructed of material which can be reclaimed or recycled and thus have a monetary value. This is particularly true for metal cans in which the metal can be remelted and formed into a new can.
Virtually all of the food containers have a UPC, bar or other code imprinted on the container. The code is encoded by industry standards so that each different product, and thus the container, is assigned a specific code. These codes enable an optical scanner at a checkout counter to accurately and rapidly determine the type and price of the item as well as provide a convienient inventory control means. Such codes, however, have never heretofore been employed for sorting empty containers into their various different types.
The previously known method for stores and other retail centers for accepting, sorting and distributing containers returned by their customers has been unduly complex, time consuming and, therefore, expensive. In the current practice, a clerk must first identify each container and place it into a bin or other storage area. Then the clerk either manually pays the customer or gives him a slip so that the customer can be reimbursed by the retail center. When the bin is full, the clerk then must take it to a further sorting area in which the containers are sorted by brand and size and then placed into master containers which again not only is time consuming but also requires large storage areas in the store which could otherwise be put into productive use.
After the various containers have been separated into their own master bins, the driver-salesman for the distributor of that particular brand or product must then manually pick up the master containers for his own company and transport the empty containers to the bottling plant without any benefit of size reduction. At the bottling plant the containers are again manually sorted to remove paper, plastic, disposable glass and metal containers. These removed products are then sent to a salvage company which crushes the material for sale as recyled material.
This previously known method for sorting and recycling containers is disadvantageous in several different respects. First, the containers must be manually sorted on at least three different occasions which involves not only extremely high overall labor costs but also requires a separate work area and storage area for each of these sorting operations. Such work and storage areas could otherwise be employed for more productive, i.e. profitable, purposes if the required sorting operations and storage could be eliminated.
A still further disadvantage of this previously known method for handling the returned containers is that the disposable containers are maintained in their original size and shape when they are transported both to the bottling plant and to the salvage company where the containers are finally crushed and reduced in size for efficient handling. Consequently, by this prior procedure the bulky and lightweight containers must be inefficiently and expensively handled and transported from both the store and the bottling company, oftentimes requiring several different trips due to the overall bulk of the empty containers. This prior procedure also requires high fuel costs when transporting the empty containers.
A still further disadvantage of this previously known procedure is that the clerk must not only manually initially sort the containers but must also manually reimburse the customer for the containers returned to the store. Consequently, as in all manual operations, errors in both sorting operation and the reimbursement to the customer occur and must usually be assumed by the store as a loss. Moreover, during the initial sorting, the clerk will oftentimes inadvertently accept containers for a brand and/or size of product which the store itself does not carry for sale. In this case the store must again accept as a loss the money which has been paid to the customer for such containers.